Poster sessions
Colour Me Shocked: Student Affairs’ (Racial) Diversity Problem
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9.03. Colour Me Shocked: Student Affairs’ (Racial) Diversity Problem Sania Hameed, Teaching & Learning Program Assistant, University of Toronto Let’s cut to the chase: Canadian student affairs has a diversity problem when it comes to race. While it’s great that more folks are talking about this issue, let’s take another step forward and tackle it: how do we increase racial diversity in our teams, our institutions, and our field? What can we learn from the stories, struggles, successes and suggestions of our racialized colleagues? This interactive session draws on survey and interview data from new research on the experiences of racialized student affairs professionals in Ontario, and offers insights into understanding and increasing racial representation in student affairs.
I am conducting research on a thus far unexplored topic: the experiences of Racialized Student Affairs Professionals (RSAPs) in Ontario. This research addresses a gap in the Canadian literature and directly delves into the ‘diversity-problem’ in Canadian Student Affairs. I seek to identify factors that might distinguish the experiences of Canadian RSAPs compared to their white colleagues, with an added focus on pathways for RSAPs entering the field. This research opens up deeper discussions on how we might better understand a) the experiences of RSAPs within the field, and b) how to create and/or promote pathways to improve the level of racial representation in the field. Theoretical Foundations This research is important for Canadian Student Affairs because the majority of the existing literature on this topic is from the United States. Themes arising from the US literature reviewed include a dearth of racialized student professionals (RSAPs), in contrast with the rapid increase in students of colour enrolling in post-secondary institutions (Kwon, 2016; Oseguera, 2013; Talbot, 1996; Taub & McEwen, 2006). Additionally, US literature points to the importance of same-race role models and supportive communities (often consisting of racialized or racially aware folks) as factors that are linked to RSAP entry into the field (Hubain, Allen, Harris, & Linder, 2016; Oseguera, 2013). Innovative and Evidence Based Approach I use a mixed-methods approach to data collection: an online survey disseminated within Ontario, and one-on-one semi-structured interviews with up to 10 RSAPs. My data will be largely qualitative in nature, and pattern analysis will be codified by creating a list of words or phrases that represent emergent themes; coding categories and sub-codes will be established once the data collection process is underway (Bogdan & Biklen, 2007). The research will be completed in April 2018, at which point I will have a clear understanding of the themes and their implications for increasing racial diversity in the field of student affairs. In this session, I will use a storytelling approach to share the experiences of those who participated in the study. I would outline the key findings regarding RSAP experiences for the first half of the session, including occasional small group discussions. The second half would focus on recommendations for increasing pathways for RSAPs, including a summary hand out that includes a section for actionable items, as well as the opportunity for more discussion. The session would end with Q&A and comments. Session Type: Research Presentations Competency: Equity, diversity and inclusion, Leadership, management and administration Room: Brown 9.04. Holistic Undergraduate Admissions II: The Transcript Strikes Back Andrew Arida, Associate Registrar, Student Recruitment & Undergraduate Admissions, The University of British Columbia; Paola Baca, Associate Director, Undergraduate Admissions, Canada, The University of British Columbia In recent years, much attention has been paid to using an applicant's personal characteristics in the undergraduate admission decision. But while many are interested in considering the "whole applicant", the academic assessment rarely considers the whole transcript. Starting in 2019, The University of British Columbia will introduce a new admissions methodology that considers all Grade 11 and 12 courses, adjusting for breadth, rigour, and relevance of coursework. Taken with the personal profile, the hope is to achieve a truly holistic admissions decision. This presentation will include a review of the underlying research, the development process, and operational considerations.
As undergraduate admissions become increasingly competitive across Canada, more institutions are looking for broader information with which to differentiate among applicants with similar (and high) secondary school grades. Typically, institutions looking to create greater distinctions within their applicant pools have introduced an applicant's personal characteristics into the decision-making process (either through short answer responses, personal statements, or video interviews). But as non-academic information increasingly becomes a staple of the admissions process, a question must be asked: have we made the most of the academic information presented by the applicant? The question is relevant because despite all the discussion of personal characteristics and non-cognitive variables, much of the literature suggests that academic performance in secondary school remains the best predictor of first-year post-secondary success. Currently, most post-secondary institutions in Canada consider only a portion of the applicant's transcript in the academic evaluation. This is problematic. Often, critical courses are overlooked and electives are over-emphasized. This fragmented approach presents inequities within a global applicant pool. More importantly, too much emphasis is placed upon grades; as a result, the chances of admission are maximized by obtaining the highest marks possible in the minimum number of courses required. While convenient in terms of processing, this approach can be counter-intuitive to encouraging positive learning outcomes in secondary school. Starting in 2019, the University of British Columbia UBC will introduce a new admissions methodology that considers all Grade 11 and 12 coursework, adjusting for breadth, rigour, and relevance of coursework. Taken with the personal profile, the hope is to achieve a truly holistic admissions decision that can be rendered with existing resources and in a timely manner. This presentation will focus on three aspects of the new approach. First, an overview of the underlying research will be presented, demonstrating that an academic assessment conducted in the aggregate can present stronger correlations with first-year success than a fragmented use of academic information. Secondly, the presenters will outline how the approach was developed in consultation with BC secondary schools and the BC Ministry of Education to better support new developments in curriculum and learning outcomes in the classroom. And lastly, the presenters will provide an overview of how the new approach will be operationalized. Session Type: Expert Lecture Competency: Leadership, management and administration, Post-secondary acumen Registrarial Practice: Admissions & Transfer Credit Room: John Hamilton 9.05. Electronic Transcripts - Enabling Data Exchange From Coast To Coast in Canada Doug Holmes, Programmer Analyst III / Co-Chair, Ontario Universities' Application Centre / CanPESC; Susan Stein, Executive Director / Member, ApplyAlberta / CanPESC Navigating the waters of student mobility is a key topic in higher ed. The Canadian Postsecondary Electronic Standards Council User Group (CanPESC) is a volunteer, community-driven group working with ARUCC to turn the tide. Exchanging transcript data between systems is one of the keys to unlock this issue. Anchoring that exchange is identifying the trusted senders and receivers. CanPESC surveyed the ARUCC membership about codes currently being used. Survey results will be presented, along with introducing the Global Education Organization (GEO) Code. Presenters will also discuss CanPESC, national transcript exchange and PESC XML standards. Point your bow and set sail!
Navigating the waters of student mobility is a key topic in higher ed today. The Canadian Postsecondary Electronic Standards Council User Group (CanPESC), a volunteer, community-driven group comprised of schools, application centres, ministries of education and vendors across the country, is working with the ARUCC community to turn the tide in enabling student mobility amongst our institutions. Electronic exchange of transcript data between our systems, using recognized international standard PESC eXtensible Markup Language (XML) data formats, is one of the keys to unlock this issue. Paper transcripts, and even PDFs, do not allow for easy transfer of information related to the admissions decisions process, transfer evaluations, course and credential equivalencies and more. The processing of paper transcripts is also error-prone and has inherent risk of fraud. The anchor for electronic exchange is identifying the trusted institutions which are the sender and receiver of that data. To that end, CanPESC surveyed the ARUCC membership about codes currently being used. The institutional codes survey's results will be presented, with an eye toward aligning with the Global Education Organization (GEO) Code for further national, international and global student mobility initiatives. The presenters will also discuss what CanPESC, national transcript exchange, PESC XML standards and the GEO Code are. Point your bow and set sail toward the horizon of standardized data exchange! Session Type: Expert Lecture Competency: Post-secondary acumen, Technology and digital engagement Registrarial Practice: Admissions & Transfer Credit, Student Records, Systems Room: McDougall 9.06. Anatomy of a Hack: A Registrarial and Student Affairs Perspective on a Personal Information Breach David Johnston, University Registrar, University of the Fraser Valley; Kyle Baillie, Director, Student Life & Development, University of the Fraser Valley In late 2017 the University of the Fraser Valley had to respond to a breach of student personal information. Several students and staff had received an email that appeared to have personal information about other students with the threat that more information would be released. This session will go inside the situation room and review the University response as well as discuss the role and responsibility of the Registrar’s Office and the Student Affairs Office when there is a breach of personal information and provide recommendations on responding to an information breach and setting up preventative measures.
In late 2017 the University of the Fraser Valley realized that there had been a possible breach of student personal information. Several students and staff reported receiving an email that appeared to have personal information about other students with the threat that other information would be released unless the University paid a ransom fee. An initial investigation from the Office of the Registration confirmed to campus authorities that the information in the email was actual personal information of current and former students. The events that followed were intense, swift and stressful. As the University needed to close some computer systems, including email, and restrict access to the self-serve registration function of the student information system, there was a direct negative impact on the student experience. This was exacerbated as the event occurred during the mid-term exam period. The crisis response team included members of the Registrar’s Office and Senior Student Affairs staff, who were actively involved in the initial response, the continued investigation and the eventual resolution. One of early response was that, to protect the integrity of University computer systems, all staff and students were required to change their password over a one week period, which was an unpreceded effort for the institution. This session will discuss the circumstances leading up to the hack and the University’s response. The presenter’s will provide an insider’s look into the situation room where the crisis was handled and discus the impact on students and staff. The session will conclude with recommendations for attendees on how to respond to an information breach, as well as what student and enrolment services offices can do to prevent some information breaches and prepare for others. Time will be provided for questions from participants. Session Type: Expert Lecture Competency: Communication, Leadership, management and administration Registrarial Practice: Student Records, Systems, Admissions Room: Langevin 9.07. Identifying and Overcoming Barriers to Degree Completion: Re-Engaging Lost Students Alexis Braun, Advisor, Brandon University; Katie Gross, Dean of Student Services, Brandon University We interviewed 40 students close to degree completion but not enrolled in courses for the 2016-17 year to learn why they had stopped their studies, what had prevented them from returning, and if they had thought about completing their degrees. Participants were offered advising to facilitate degree completion, a process that identified unforeseen institutional barriers. We will share our results and discuss the institutional barriers that arose as a consequence of re-engaging these students. Session attendees will learn initial and on-going barriers to degree completion for these students, strategies to overcome barriers, and an appreciation for re-engagement of lost students. Program Description In the spring of 2017, Brandon University conducted short interviews with 40 students who were within 15 credit hours of degree completion but who were considered “lost”: students who had not enrolled in courses for the 2016-17 academic year. Some students had only recently ceased their studies, while others had been away from university for more than eight years. The purpose of these interviews was to learn why students had stopped their studies, what had since prevented them from returning, and if they had thought about completing their degrees. As a follow-up to the interviews, all participants were offered academic advising assistance to facilitate degree completion and address their identified barriers. Of the participants, 30 chose to pursue information on degree completion, a process that identified unforeseen institutional barriers. The purpose of this session is to share the results of the interviews, as well as to discuss the institutional barriers that arose as a consequence of re-engaging these students in their studies. After a discussion of the results of the interviews, participants will be divided into small groups to discuss how their home institutions could resolve the institutional barriers using case studies based on the interview participants. These strategies will then be shared with the larger group, followed by discussion of what worked (or didn’t) at our institution. Session attendees should expect to learn initial and on-going personal barriers and institutional barriers to degree completion for students who are close to completion, strategies to overcome these barriers, and an appreciation for proactive engagement of lost students in a time when degree completion and student graduation is becoming an increasing priority for universities. This session will be of particular interest to academic advisors and registrarial staff. Session Type: Expert Lecture Community/Network Stream: Orientation Transition & Retention Competency: Student advising, support and advocacy Registrarial Practice: Curriculum & Calendar, Student Records, Admissions Room: Cartier 9.08. Supporting Student Leadership and Resilience Lianne Newman, Manager, Student Engagement and Development, Ryerson University, Faculty of Communication and Design; Zohair Khan, Manager, Student Relations and Development, Ryerson University, Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Studies; Ted Rogers School of Management; Stephen Kassim, Manager, Student Relations and Development, Ryerson University, Faculty of Arts According to the American College Health Association – National College Health Assessment II (ACHA-NCHA II) Executive Summary for Ryerson University (2016), a total of 89.9% of students felt overwhelmed by all they had to do in the last 12 months and 67% felt overwhelming anxiety. As stress, anxiety, and other mental health concerns rise amongst students, how can we, as educators better support and retain our student leaders to ensure that they are successful in their roles?
Student leaders play an important role in building communities on campus and acting as role models to fellow students. The expectation of student leaders is to commit many hours per week to co-curricular activities. This commitment often interferes with other priorities including: social engagements, class assignments, internship hours, paid work, and others. According to the American College Health Association – National College Health Assessment II (ACHA-NCHA II) Executive Summary for Ryerson University (2016), a total of 89.9% of students felt overwhelmed by all they had to do in the last 12 months and 67% felt overwhelming anxiety. As stress, anxiety, and other mental health concerns rise amongst students, how can we, as educators better support and retain our student leaders to ensure that they are successful in their roles? In this panel/roundtable discussion, each presenter will share their experiences working with student leaders over the past 5 years identifying unique observations, challenges, and areas of concern working with different groups of students. The presenters will then open up discussion to the participants to share ways that we, as a community, can support student leaders who may be experiencing high amounts of stress and anxiety. Session Type: Roundtable Discussion Community/Network Stream: Leadership Educators Competency: Student advising, support and advocacy,Student learning and development Room: Ocean (Holman Grand Hotel) 9.09. Immigration Advising, Legal Status and Records: What Every Student Advisor Needs to Know Cristina Puha, International Student Immigration Advisor, University of Toronto; Neil Neebar, Associate Registrar, Student Records, Registration and Institutional Analysis, University of Toronto The session will provide an overview of the immigration process for study permits, visitor visas, work permits and the documents required by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for these types of applications. Learn how institutions can better assist their international student population complying with that. Get an insider's look at the process of assessing immigration documents for legal status and fee exemption and how this information is recorded and managed.
Most of educational institutions in Canada have experienced a significant increase in the number of international students. We usually tend to concentrate more on the academic and transition advising when it comes to these particular students but sometimes we overlook the importance of compliance with immigration rules and regulations and the impact some of their actions have on the immigration status. The session will provide an overview of the immigration process for study permits, visitor visas, work permits and the documents required by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for these types of applications. We will then summarize some of the things that affect their immigration status as well as the most common issues/challenges international students experience during their studies in Canada. We will present some of the University of Toronto’s best practices and collaborations between various departments that help students meet immigration requirements. Participants will learn how institutions can better assist their international student population complying with that. Moreover, new and growing reporting requirements, both internal and external to the institution, has put a spotlight on the importance of maintaining accurate and relevant legal status and related student data. Attendees will take home practical knowledge of how this information is verified and maintained at the University of Toronto, as well as how an overarching system was implemented to efficiently service students in a large, highly compartmentalized, and autonomous institution. Learning Outcomes:
Session Type: Expert Lecture Competency: Post-secondary acumen, Student advising, support and advocacy Registrarial Practice: Student Records, Admissions Room: Steeves 9.10. Making a MESS of Learning Strategies Candice Kavanagh, Disabilities Coordinator and Learning Strategist, Carleton University; Amanda Bettencourt, Disabilities Coordinator and Learning Strategist, Carleton University; Suzanne Pigeon, Disabilities Coordinator & Learning Strategist, Carleton University Post-secondary students are expected to have sufficient academic skills, though these skills are not explicitly taught in university courses. This expectation is something that all university students face but the presence of a disability that impacts academic performance makes it more difficult for students to succeed without appropriate support. Learning these skills outside the classroom requires the student to be engaged and an active participant in their development as a student. The story of the Metacognitive Educational Support Service (MESS) learning strategies program will provide a narrative of how we have addressed these needs and the challenges we have faced.
Our reasons for developing the Metacognitive Educational Support Service (MESS) program were threefold. Firstly, to increase student engagement with services on campus in order to cultivate student development and increase retention. Secondly, we wished to help new students navigate the transition process to post-secondary and prepare them for the academic challenges they would face. Lastly, we needed to address the issue of the strain on accommodation resources caused by the increase in students registering with the disability service office, particularly with mental health disabilities. We sought to address students’ functional limitations through support services to decrease the need for nonessential accommodations. The foundation for MESS was created from both empirical research and experiential practice. The theoretical foundation for the program comes from three different theories: metacognition (Flavell, Miller, & Miller, 2002) self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2008) and mindset theory (Dweck, 2009). Post-secondary students are expected to have sufficient skills in the areas of time management, organization, reading, notetaking, studying, test taking, and writing, though these skills are often not explicitly taught in post-secondary courses. This expectation is something that all university students face but the presence of a disability that impacts academic performance makes it all the more difficult for students to succeed without appropriate support. Learning these skills outside the classroom requires the student to be engaged and an active participant in their development as a student. Learning strategists help students become metacognitive through the examination of their current academic practices and evaluating their effectiveness. They also discuss the student’s mindset related to learning and gauge their motivation for change. Outcomes from experiential practice considered when developing the MESS program came from the Learning Opportunities Task Force and From Intention to Action program, which demonstrated that students’ engagement and resiliency are key to their success especially for students with disabilities (McCloskey, 2011; (Bilodeau & Meissner, 2016)). Presenters will tell the story of the MESS Learning Strategies program, the process and challenges faced. We will also share some specific tools we use with students. Participants will have the opportunity to collaborate and discuss with presenters and colleagues how they can implement the program at their own institutions. Participants would ideally have some experience with learning strategies, teaching, or academic coaching. Yüklə 1,29 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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